A bill improving access to public universities’ financial information, including budget, spending and revenue, received support yesterday from Comptroller Kevin Lembo.
The legislation, currently before the Appropriations Committee, would require the state’s public institutions of higher education to post their budgets online. Currently, the University of Connecticut, the Connecticut State University System and the Regional Community-Technical College System receive block grant funding. As a result, Lembo said, the state budget includes only a single line item for each institution.
In his testimony, the comptroller said, though, no legislation should be necessary to get the higher-ed institutions to post the information online. He pointed to the quasi-public agencies currently working with his office to do just that without being compelled by state law.
“Voluntary agreements could allow us to accomplish the goal of expanding public access to budget and financial data from our institutions of higher education on an achievable timeline that recognizes current resource constraints,” Lembo said.
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